Ethical, sustainable building!
Down in Dorset lives a man called Kev Potts, otherwise known as The Bearded Balancer. Kev has become known for his incredible stone-balancing abilities. This is a very addictive hobby which requires a sense of the size and weight of objects, and the patience to get them to perfectly balance together. Your toddler is busy learning all about how to predict, and check, the size and shape of the things they play with – see if you notice them doing experiments or moving objects in order to test their ideas.
Kev spends time on beaches, in streams, or anywhere where there are stones. His goal is to create one-of-a-kind sculptures out of the stones he discovers in each location. When the stacks are finished, Kev leaves them so that onlookers can admire them. The stones eventually return to nature. If you’d like to see more of his work, or share it with your toddler to spark some creative building, you can find him on Facebook, Instagram or Flickr.
How unusual art can spark your child’s creativity... and maybe save the world!
An inspirational British artist called Michelle Reader uses creativity to raise awareness of the environmental issues that face all of us today – while also creating astonishingly beautiful sculptures out of other people’s rubbish. Sharing her artwork with your child is a fantastic way to let their imagination run wild, and embrace the kind of creative problem solving the next generation will use to tackle some of the challenges the world is facing.
Realistic-looking animals ready to soar, expressive sculptures of people and even moving models (including a dinosaur!) can all be seen on Michelle Reader’s website, and they are all made of recycling and rubbish. Find more information and a gallery of her work here.
Adventurous days – some simple ideas for adventures with your child
You might feel that your child can find an adventure anywhere. Their curiosity and desire to find new challenges can lead them to do things you just didn’t expect – which can feel hard at times as you balance keeping them safe and encouraging their sense of adventure.
It may be unnerving for you, as their parent, to see your child grow more curious and enthusiastic about the world. Children are often driven to achieve new goals, and they do not experience the same level of fear that gradually creeps up on us adults over time. When you participate in their adventurous play, however, you can ensure that your child is safe to take chances and face challenges.
Spot Goes to the Park by Eric Hill
Spot Goes to the Park is an adorable lift-the-flap book. To start with, the expressions on the animals’ faces as you read through the story are perfect – we especially like Spot and the elephant's faces when Spot accidentally kicks the ball too high and quickly, “Oops!”
A fun and interactive book for your toddler: Where is Baby’s Beach Ball? by Karen Katz
This is a great board book for babies, full of exciting language, new concepts and intrigue as your baby is encouraged to lift the flaps on each page to reveal where the beach ball is.
This colourful, easy-to-read book by American author, Karen Katz, revolves around a ball that was lost by a baby while playing on the beach. As the search for baby's ball begins, we encounter some lovely words and illustrations about the beach and holidays, including some charming sea life characters along the way.
Off to work we go – why getting your child to help at home could be great for their development
Do you have days when you feel like you’ve got to choose between cleaning, cooking and teaching your child something? You might feel like you've forgotten when you last saw the bottom of your washing basket, or be wondering what you should be making for the next meal – the good news is that getting your child involved in helping will teach them lots – and even better they will probably love it!
Helping with tasks in your home is something your child really enjoys at this stage of development. Not just tidying their toys away, but jobs they see as important because you do them. When children carry out age-appropriate tasks alongside you they feel like a connected and valued member of the household.
Look! Who’s that? Books with baby faces
Your baby might be interested in looking at photographs of other babies. Here are some suggestions for books with clear photographs which we think your baby might enjoy, or alternatively you could print some pictures.
Making sense of it all - how your baby's developing memory helps them to learn
It is true that every day is a new day, full of possibilities and excitement. Every morning when your baby starts a new day by smiling at you, because, there you are again. What adventures lie ahead today? Your baby is starting to remember more of their experiences and so, can use what has happened before to think about what might happen next.
“Have you finished?” Why you should listen when your baby refuses food
When your baby turns their head away as you bring another spoonful of food towards them, it can be so tempting to begin a whole range of strategies to try to get them to eat more, from aeroplanes to pleas of “Just one more bite!” But refusing food is a signal that your baby is developing important skills – including awareness of themselves and autonomy.
Not sure about messy play? The benefits and things to think about to get you started
Messy play might not be your first choice of activity but can be great for your toddler. If you’ve avoided it so far, you aren’t alone, but perhaps there could be a way for you to enjoy getting messy together?
Messy play can give your toddler time to explore without needing to make something – it’s not setting up a ‘craft’, but finding ways to let your toddler play with different materials and discover what they do.
